Sunday, December 13, 2015

Week Three of 30-Day Contemplation

Week Three! We're about halfway through our month-long exercises. How has it changed you, or what have you gained from it? I'd love to read your thoughts and comments (below). I am two days behind, and I should have known that would happen in December. If, like me, you have missed some days, just come back where you left off and finish whenever you finish. The days that I have given enough time to these exercises, I've really enjoyed the study and focus.

Here are the exercises for this week. I also found this photo quote on LDS.org. I think the Atonement applies to the focus for several of the next seven days.Day Fifteen
Question: How can I forgive someone who has really betrayed me or hurt me?
Read: Colossians 3:12-17 and Matthew 5:44
Ponder: Am I enjoying at some level the negative feelings that this hurt has provoked? Do I want to hang on to them and seek revenge? Could my self-condemnation be preventing me from coming to Christ?

Day Sixteen
Question: Am I valiant in my belief of Christ?
Read: 2 Timothy 1:7-8 and Revelation 12:10-11
Ponder: Do I counter negative comments about Christ? Do I speak of the teachings of Christ in the company of non-believers? When asked, am I ready with my testimony of the Church and of Christ?

Day Seventeen
Question: How do I know my Heavenly Father loves me?
Read: John 3:16-17, 1 John 4:7, 10 and Jeremiah 31:3
Ponder: Do I project the negative feelings I have for authority figures onto my Heavenly Father? Do I seek Heavenly Father in prayer and ask to feel His love and counsel?

Day Eighteen
Question: What is the pure love of Christ?
Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-4 and John 10:9
Ponder: Am I willing to live in a greater and deeper state of happiness and joy? Am I willing to discipline myself spiritually, so that I experience the pure love of Christ on a daily basis?

Day Nineteen
Question: How can I recognize Lucifer's enticings in my life?
Read: Romans 16:18-20 and Luke 22:31
Ponder: Being in constant contact with the Lord is the strategy that keeps Lucifer and his minions from bothering me. Do I recognize the pattern of discouragement and enticement as part of his campaign? Am I willing to fully resist?

Day Twenty
Question: Do I spend as much time learning about the Savior and meditating on His words as I do watching television or involved in other electronic media?
Read: Romans 10:14 and 2 Peter 1:3-9
Ponder: What books about the Savior and His teachings could I read this year to increase my knowledge? Will I search for ones that interest me so I have the desire to read them? Am I willing to share what I am learning with a friend or family member who may want to read the same book at the same time?

Day Twenty-One
Question: How can I resist being envious of the success and belongings of others?
Read: Romans 13:13 and 1 Timothy 6:4
Ponder: Do I realize that I have a spiritual purpose in this life? If so, what am I doing to pursue that path?